Spring support attachment



Oct. 6, 1953 A. H. BENNETT SPRING SUPPORT ATTACHMENT Filed Feb. 15, 1952 Patented Oct. 6, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SPRING SUPPORT ATTACHMENT Alfred H. Bennett, Hyde Park, Pa.

Application February 15, 1952, Serial No. 271,816

7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to an attachment for bed springs or other spring frames for furniture used for supporting mattresses and cushions, and has for its primary object to provide a support capable of being adjustably connected to a spring frame and located adjacent a portion of the frame where the springs have become Weakened to correct sagging of a mattress or cushion in certain areas thereof normally required to support a preponderance of the weight to which the mattress and springs are subjected to eliminate a sagging condition of the mattress or cushion in the area thereof located over Weakened springs of the spring frame.

More particularly, it is an aim of the present invention to provide an attachment of extremely simple construction a group of which may be detachably clamped to a spring frame over the weakened springs thereof to eliminate sagging of a cushion or mattress supported on the frame in the area thereof which is subjected to the greatest weight.

A further object of the invention is to provide an attachment which may be applied to a spring frame beneath the area of a mattress or cushion normally subjected to the greatest weight to reinforce and strengthen the spring frame portion or portions disposed therebeneath and to more equally distribute the weight normally borne by certain overloaded springs of the frame to prevent weakening of said springs.

A further object of the invention is to provide a spring frame attachment of extremely simple construction which may be very economically manufactured and sold and which is capable of being quickly and easily applied to or removed from a spring frame and adjustably positioned in any desired location thereon to more equally distribute the load borne by the frame,

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view showing the invention applied to the upper frame section of a boxtype bed spring;

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of the bed spring shown mounted in the frame of a bed with a mattress shown in end elevation supported thereon;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side elevational View partly in section and on an enlarged scale of the attachment as it will appear in an applied position;

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view of the attachment taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 4--4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view of one part of the attachment, and

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view, partly in side elevation of another part of the attachment.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the spring attachment, designated generally 1 and comprising the invention, comprises a substantially rigid elongated member 8 which as illustrated is of hollow or tubular form, but which could obviously be a solid rod, if desired. The rigid elongated member or tube 8 is provided with externally threaded ends 9 and I0. Each end of the tube 8 is provided with aligned slots I I which open outwardly thereof and extend inwardly to beyond the inner end of the threaded portion 9 or I0. An internally threaded cap I2 is detachably mounted on each end of the tube 8 by engagement with the threaded portion 9 or I0 thereof. A spreading element I3 is mounted in each cap I2 and centrally thereof to fit into the end of the tube 8 on which the cap I2 is mounted. Said spreading element I3 is of a diameter to snugly engage in the tube end and is preferably provided with a rounded outer end I4 to assist in guiding the spreader I3 into the tube end. A stem I5 extends from the opposite, inner end of the spreader I3 through a central opening I6 in the end wall I'I of the cap I2, said opening I6 having a iiared outer end I8 to receive the ared outer portion of the stem I5, as indicated at I9. The stem I5 nondetachably connects the spreader I3 to the cap I2 and if desired may turnably iit the opening I 6 to swivelly mount the spreader I3 in the cap.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, to illustrate a preferred application and use of the spring attachment l, a bed spring of the box-type is illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 and is designated generally 20. A base portion 2I of the bed spring 20 is shown supported on portions 22 of a bed frame. The base 2| supports a plurality of coiled springs 23 which are suitably tied together in a conventional manner and which includes a plurality of transverse rows of the coil springs 23, as illustrated in Figure 1. The bed spring 2U also includes a rectangular top frame 24 formed of heavy gauge wire or rod stock, which is disposed around the springs 23. Any number of the spring attachments 1 may be utilized with the bed spring 29. Ordinarily, three or four of the attachments are employed over the area of the bed spring which normally bears the most weight i. e., the

3 portion thereof from adjacent the head of the bed to midway of or somewhat beyond a midpoint of the ends of the bed spring. As seen in Figure l, four of the attachments 'I are shown detachably clamped to longitudinal side portions 25 of the top frame 24. Two of the attachments I are shown disposed approximately intermediate of the ends of the bed spring 2D and the other two attachments 1 are shown disposed near one end of the bed spring, which may be assumed to be located near the head of the bed. Each attachment 'I is applied by rst removing the two caps I 2 and then positioning the elongated member or tube 8 transversely of the top frame 24 and at a slight angle to the transverse position f the tube as illustrated in Figure --1, so that the side portions 25 of the spring frame w2,4 `can be engaged in the notches II. The caps I2 are then applied to the threaded ends 9 andi!) and tightened so that the rounded ends I4 of the spreaders I3 will engage the frame sides 25 to `clamp them between portions of the tube located at the inner ends of the slots I I and the vrounded ends IA of the spreaders I3. The spreaders I3 also function to prevent collapsing of the slotted Aends ll) and I 0 so that the threaded portions of ythe caps will correctly lit the `threads of the tube portions 9 and I0. It will thus be seen that each attachment 'I may be effectively clamped in any .desired position to the `bed spring 20 and transversely thereof. Each tube `8 is preferably located directly `over a transverse rowv of coil springs 23. A mattress 26 supported on the bed .spring 20 has portions thereof supported bythe attachments 1. It will be read-ily apparent that the weight .borne by the portion of the mattress disposed over the supports I will be distributed equally from side-to-side of the .bed spring so that each of the coil springs disposed beneath each tube .or elongated member 8 will support `substantially an .equal portion of the weight .0n the tube 8. Accordingly, the bed springs will .be prevented from sagging at the yportion thereof which normally Vsupports the most weight and .the mattress 26 will Ylikewise be prevented from sagging over the weakened portions of the bed vspring and will be supported more 'firmly in the area resting on the supports 1 which normally bears `the most weight. The support l may 0bviously be utilized for strengthening and reinv.

forcing a weakened bed spring by beingvpositioned .over the .coil springs lthereof which have partially llost their resiliency and become `wreakened .to eliminate a sagging ofthe bed spring and amattress supported thereby. Likewise, the supports 1 may b e .used With new bed Vsprings or with bed springs which have not commenced to sag .to reinforce 4the portion thereof subjected to the most weight to prevent weakening of the coil springs and sagging of the bed spring and to provide a firmer support for the area of a ma-ttress normally subjected to the most Weight. The attachment may also be utilized to strengthen ,a .bed spring which has -become weakened, which iis too soft or which possesses too much resiliency.

It will .be .understood that the attachment 'I may be used inthe same manner-with other types of furniture springs providing spring supports for cushions .or the like. Various .other modiiicalIranzie portions in said slots and for clamping the elongated member thereto to position the attachment .above and in engagement with the upper end of a transverse row of coil springs of the spring structure.

,2. An attachment as in claim 1, said slotted ends of the elongated member being threaded externally, and said caps being internally threaded and threadedly vengaging said threaded ends for detachably vmounting the caps thereon.

l3. attachment yas in yclaim 1, said .elongated member .being tubular.

4. An attachment as in claim .3, a .spreading member connected to and supported in each of the caps and sized to lit into an ,end 4of the tubular member when the cap is threaded thereon Iand Abearing against the parallel side portion .of the spring frame which lextend through the tubular member for clamping 4the tubular member thereto.

5. An attachment as lin claim 4, said spreader being sized to snugly nt the .tubular member to prevent collapsing of ,the slotted externally threaded end thereof engaged by lsaid cap.

6. An attachment `as in claim f5, `said spreader being swivelly mounted in the cap.

7. The .combination .with a box-.type bed spring including Aa atop frame surrounding the upper portion of the coil springs of the ibed .spring and which top frame includes substantially parallel side portions, of an .elongated rigid 4member having aligned longitudinally extending slots ripening outwardly .of theends thereof land detachably engaging portions of the .parallel side portions of said top frame .and resting on the upper convolutions of la transverse row o f .coil.springs, and cap members detachably connected Vto the ends of said elongated member for clamping ,the parallel frame portions in vthe inner Vends of said slots .to ,anchor the `elongated member to said top frame.

ALFRED H. BENNETT.

Beierences Cited ,in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS Number Number 

